Help on a new CTP and plates

[maac]

Hi all as you can see I am new to this forum. I would appreciate your opinion on a new CTP and plates. The Company I work for we are thinking about changing up from our Violet Silver Plate to the (Chemistry free plate technology) We have our mind on three different ones. Two of them used a clean out unit. The other one cleans out on the press were you used a lot of stock to develop the plates. I am not sure if this is good for the (ph) and the water solution.
So can you all help us with this change.

Thanks
MAAC

 

[DCurry]

I've had experience with 4: Presstek Anthem, Agfa AzuraTS, Fuji Ecomaxx, and recently Kodak Sonora.

The Anthem plates were horrible. Nothing but complaints from the pressmen, and required way too much water on press. I don't recommend them at all.

The AzuraTS requires a gummer unit, and is the only plate of these 3 that has very high contrast for easy inspection. Had great experience and very happy pressmen with this plate. The gummer required a little more maintenance and elbow grease than I was led to believe, but still easier than changing chemistry.

The shop I'm in now just switched from the Ecomaxx to the Sonora. The pressmen had no issues with the Ecomaxx, but in the 2 weeks they've been using the Sonora they say it is easier and faster to get the plates cleaned and start running the jobs. The Ecomaxx needed more water on press than the Sonora, too.

 

[maac]

Dan thank you.
You did hit on one of them. Right now we are on a prosetter 74 and the prosetter 102 violet plate. Now it is time to go thermal for us. It will be with the DART Series or the Suprasetter chemistry free technology with the clean out unit with the auto loaders. They both seem to be reliable machines. Would you know the down side to one to another? I did look for input on both and they seem to be both good CTP's Can you give me your thoughts on them.

Thanks
MAAC

 

[DCurry]

I don't have any direct experience with those 2 machines, but it looks like the Dart is really manufactured by Screen, rebadged with a Fuji logo. If that is the case, you can't go wrong there - I've used an Avalon, which is Agfa's CTP that is really a rebadged Screen, and it was great. Nice thing about Screens is it's easy to find independent techs to work on them if needed (outside of a service contract).

 

[tomcatinc]

There is a plate called Azura Vi. You should check if it can fit into your current violet ctp and your needs.

Presstek Anthem plates were horrible in first generation. Later they developed better grained plates and they were better regarding water on press.

Azura TS and its newer edition Azura TU are great chemistry free plates for general use if no UV inks are to be used. I work in CTP-as-service company (no printing, just imaging plates for many printing houses) and Azura is by far best plate in key elements. Only complaint we receive is it can not be used more then once - it is sensitive to most chems used to clean and preserve plate for future prints. Other then that, no problem. Cleaned out it can be measured with plate reader before placing into press.

Cleaning out of press is with some traditional people cleaner then cleaning on press. A lot of effort is made in that area and if you have CTP for your needs in house, it can save you money for clean-out unit. With these plates you will have to calibrate whole system since plates are cleaned on press and you will have to measure the print (and in-house this saves time comapred to separated plate calibration and press curve creation/modification).

 

[maac]

Hi all
It looks like we are going with the DART Series 4300S thermal CTP. They will be coming in on July 7th to start the install. So I guest we will be up and running in 2 days. It will be the 4-up format Autoloader.

I looked up on the forum search for the up side and the down side on the 4300S and as you know they talk of the (tail clamps replaced every 20,000 plates. so we will make that in 9 to 10 months. So can you give me your input on this.

Thanks MAAC